Dermatological Conditions among the Geriatric Population: A Cross Sectional Survey by Mohammad SM in COJ Reviews & Research

1. Dermatological Conditions among the
Geriatric Population: A Cross Sectional Survey
Short Communication
1/2Copyright © All rights are reserved by Mohammad SM.
Volume - 1 Issue - 4
Mubashar MM1
and Mohammad SM2
*
1
Department of Dermataology, India
2
Department of Hospital Adminstration, India
*Corresponding author: Mohammad SM, Department of Hospital Adminstration, SKIMS, Srinagar, India
Submission: May 31, 2018; Published: October 31, 2018
Abstract
Background: Geriatric health care has been considered as an emerging issue due to the increase in life expectancy. Cutaneous lesions are more
common among the elderly due to aging, which causes decline in the function of skin.
Objective: To determine the spectrum of dermatological manifestations among the elderly.
Materials and Methods: A total of 200 patients aged 60 years and above reporting to the health camp. Skin changes in all the patients were
recorded and were classified into physiological and pathological changes.
Results: Among 200 patients studied, 72% were men and 28% were women. Eczema (44%) was the most common pathological condition followed
by pruritus (38%), and xerosis was common among the physiological changes.
Conclusion: Geriatric population are one of the more vulnerable sections of our society. Majority of the elderly in this study had xerosis and eczema.
Keywords: Geriatric; Cutaneous manifestation; Eczema
Introduction
In the twenty-first century, one of the biggest social
transformations is population aging [1]. The global share of older
people (aged 60 years or above) increased from 9.2% in 1990 to
11.7% in 2013 and will continue to grow as a proportion of the
world population, reaching 21.1% by 2050. At present, about two-
thirds of the world’s older persons live in developing countries.
By 2050, nearly 8 in 10 of the world’s older population will live
in the less developed regions [2]. The most common problems in
aging population are economic, psychosocial, mental, and medical
morbidities.
Health has always been considered the primary concern in old
age as aging predisposes elderly people to injuries and diseases.
Skin diseases are common in elderly, and increased prevalence
of skin disease may reflect underlying systemic diseases such as
diabetes mellitus, neurological disease, vascular insufficiency and
malignancy, and may also be due to restricted mobility/lack of care
and compromised immune status. Because meeting health needs
of the aging population is a priority and aging-related issue is
drawing increasing attention in the present scenario, this study was
undertaken to know the prevalence of skin problems among elderly
[3].The main objective of this study was to determine the spectrum
of cutaneous manifestations in geriatric population.
Materials and Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted among 200 elderly
patients (aged group 60 years and above) attending health camp
in June 2014. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain the
data regarding the socio-demographic profile after obtaining
the informed consent. A detailed history of cutaneous complaint
including associated medical conditions followed by general
physical, systemic, and dermatological examinations were
carried out for all the patients Table 1 &2. Skin changes in all the
patients were recorded and were classified into physiological and
pathological changes.
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Table 1: Distribution of physiological changes in geriatric population.
Condition Frequency Percentage
Xerosis 180 90.0%
Wrinkling 174 87.0%
Idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis 90 45.0%
Atrophy of skin 68 34.0%
Dermatoheliosis 64 32.0%

2. COJ Rev & Res Copyright © Mohammad SM
2/2How to cite this article: Mubashar M, Mohammad S. Dermatological Conditions among the Geriatric Population: A Cross Sectional Survey. COJ Rev & Res.
1(4). COJRR.000517.2018. DOI: 10.31031/COJRR.2018.01.000517
Volume - 1 Issue - 4
Table 2: Distribution of pathological changes in geriatric
population.
Condition Frequency Percentage
Eczematous dermatitis 88 44.00%
Pruritis 64 32.00%
Neoplastic changes 48 24.00%
Infections 40 20.00%
Psychodermatosis 28 14.00%
Photodermatosis 24 12.00%
Cutaneous drug reactions 14 7.00%
Misscalenous 10 5.00%
Results
Among the 200 patients, 72% (114) were men and 28% (56)
were women.
Discussion
Health has always been considered the primary concern in old
age as aging predisposes elderly people to injuries and diseases.
Skin diseases are common in elderly, and increased prevalence
of skin disease may reflect underlying systemic diseases such as
diabetes mellitus, neurological disease, vascular insufficiency and
malignancy, and may also be due to restricted mobility/lack of care
and compromised immune status.
Atotalof200patientsaged60yearsandabovewereconsidered
for this study. Xerosis was the most common physiological change
seen in this study (90%), which is similar to that reported in the
study by Durai et al. [4] and few other Indian studies [5] The high
prevalence of xerosis could be attributed to less use of emollients
and usage of harsher soaps by the subjects who mostly hail from
semi-rural areas. Wrinkling was the second most common change,
and most of the wrinkling seen in this study was on sun-exposed
areas, which is similar to most of other studies [6-8].
In this study, eczematous conditions were seen in 44% patients.
The suboptimal barrier functions of elderly skin associated with
xerosis and pruritus were the common predisposing factors of the
increased eczema prevalence in the elderly. Pruritus was the second
most common finding in this study. The observed prevalence of
pruritus in various studies ranged from 11.5% to 49.6% [4,6,7].
Conclusion
Elderly patients are one of the more vulnerable sections of our
society. Majority of the elderly in this study had xerosis and eczema.
References
1. Sheethal MP, Shashikumar BM (2015) A cross-sectional study on the
dermatological conditions among the elderly population in Mandya city.
International Journal of Medical Science and Public Health 4(4): 467-
470.
2. World Health Organization (2012) Good health adds life to years-global
brief for world health day 2012. World Health Organization (WHO),
Geneva, Switzerland, p. 28.
3. United Nations (2013) World population ageing 2013. Department of
economic and social affairs population division, United Nations (UN),
New York, USA, p. 96.
4. Durai PC, Thappa DM, Kumari R, Malathi M (2012) Aging in elderly:
Chronological versus photoaging. Indian J Dermatol 57(5): 343-352.
5. Raveendra L (2014) A clinical study of geriatric dermatoses. Our
Dermatol Online 5(3): 235-239.
6. Tindall JP, Smith J (1963) Skin lesions of the aged and their association
with internal changes. JAMA 186: 1039-1042.
7. Grover S, Narasimhalu CR (2009) A clinical study of skin changes in
geriatric population. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol 75(3): 305-306.
8. Beauregard S, Gilchrest BA (1987) A survey of skin problems and skin
care regimens in the elderly. Arch Dermatol 123(12): 1638-1643.
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